Motor drives and other electronics modules require cable strain relief and cable EMI/RFI shield grounding for secure connection of the associated cable to the module and for establishing a low impedance ground path to a desired ground location. Many structures are known for providing the required strain relief and ground path.
Known systems have been found to be suboptimal with respect to the physical location of the cables in cases where more than one cable must be connected to the module, especially when used in connection with a narrow module, which can lead to the multiple cables being positioned undesirably outside of the width of the module where they can interfere with cables of adjacent modules, present an obstacle for mounting of an adjacent module, and generally detract from the proper mounting an installation of the module and its associated cables or adjacent modules and the associated cables thereof.
Another drawback of known cable strain relief and grounding arrangements is that the cable clamping structures for operatively securing the cable(s) to the chassis of the electronics module are sometimes difficult to use, require special tools, are subject to loss of parts, do not work well when cables of different sizes must be accommodated or when some cables are omitted, or have been found to be too complex and/or expensive.
Known structures have not effectively provided for the combination of a module enclosure with a separate cable strain relief structure connected thereto and in which the separate strain relief structure is directly electrically connected to a ground path of a printed circuit board assembly when connected to the module enclosure.
A further drawback associated with known cable strain relief structures is that a need has sometimes been found for a stronger fastener used to clamp the cable(s) in position while still provided the advantages of a fastener locking structure that inhibits unintended reverse rotation of the fastener in harsh environments including vibration and other forces that tend to loosen fasteners.
In light of the foregoing issues and others associated with known cable strain relief and grounding systems for electronics modules, a need has been identified for a new and improved electronics module cable clamping system for strain relief and grounding.